


Brothers

by Emilia3546



Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Banter, Illyrian Blood Rite, Illyrian Camps (ACoTaR), Illyrians (ACoTaR), Light Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, POV Azriel (ACoTaR), POV Cassian (ACoTaR), POV Rhysand (ACoTaR), bat boys - Freeform, sassy Azriel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 11:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,682
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28759578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emilia3546/pseuds/Emilia3546
Summary: The bat boys find each other on the blood rite, fighting and banter ensue, and Rhys' mom comes in at the end.
Relationships: Azriel & Cassian & Rhysand (ACoTaR), Azriel & Cassian (ACoTaR)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 25





	Brothers

Cassian swore at the sound of someone else behind him, whirling and dropping into a fighting stance, his breathing already coming too fast, his limbs too weak. He almost dropped his sword as the other male saw who was there and promptly turned and ran in the opposite direction. Cassian collapsed against a tree, too exhausted to search for any decent shelter, and passed out.

He woke to the sunrise a few hours later, the soreness in his tired muscles slightly lessened and forced himself to his feet, thanking all the gods that no one had found him sleeping. He glanced up towards Ramiel, the snow shining on the peak in the pale sunlight. He tore his eyes away, carrying on into the tangle of trees before him, each step bringing him closer to the mountain, to the inevitable bloodbath at its base. He stopped just before noon, taking advantage of a river to nap again, the water was too deep to be crossed quietly, so after he had drunk his fill, he settled down for a quick hour nap.

He woke to someone shouting, and immediately scrambled to his feet, sword in hand, but relaxed as he saw the intruder,

"Cass!"

"Az! That you?"

"You still alive?"

"Just about," he groaned, sitting back down as Azriel crossed the river, sinking down beside him, "Any sign of Rhys?"

"No. No one I've asked has seen him, dead or alive."

"He's alive."

"How do you know?"

"He's alive." Cassian insisted, "He has to be,"

"I hope so too, if he's alive we'll find him soon enough, the mountain's getting closer, and so is everyone else."

"We'll be alright. We have each other now." Azriel grinned, and mussed his brother's hair, "Let's go and beat the shit out of those damned high-born dipshits."

"Who are you and what have you done with my brother?" Cassian gasped, "How little sleep have you gotten recently Az?"

"Oh, almost none, I'm fine."

"I can see that, although, more colorful language than usual."

"Oh, fuck off," Azriel shoved his shoulder, but lapsed into chuckles, only stopping when Cassian pushed himself to his feet, and offered Azriel his hand,

"Come on then,"

Rhys rotated his shoulder, cursing the stiffness there, then the unconscious male at his feet, the one blow he had managed to land. He had lost track of the days, but there couldn't be much time left, he had to move quickly. The mountain loomed ominously close as he jogged through the forests at its base, he avoided the obvious path, not in the mood to invite trouble, he would get there quicker if he only picked the fights that he had to. 

He froze at the sound of voices ahead, but his adrenaline faded a little at the recognition of those voices, was it? Yes. He could have laughed with joy, but was content to creep up on his brothers while they rested for a moment. The plan backfired when they both turned to fight the moment he made himself known, he threw himself backwards to avoid Cassian's blade,

"Whoa idiots, it's me!"

"Oh, sorry Rhys, maybe don't jump out on the adrenaline fueled Illyrians next time," Az snorted at Cassian's words,

"Noted. Still alive then, I see."

"Oh yeah, it'll take more than these morons to kill me," Cassian chuckled, tacking Rhys with a bear hug, sending them both tumbling into the mud. Azriel snorted in laughter, and danced away when Rhys chased after him,

"No! Get away! No!" He yelped when Rhys finally caught up to him, and made to sure to cover him in the mud coating his leathers. "You prick!" Azriel slapped his shoulder, freezing at Rhys' slight wince of pain, "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's just stiff, asshole landed one blow, glancing but, it's still a bit sore. It'll be fine."

Their reunion was cut short by another male,

"Lookie here, bastards, and a half-breed. What do you say, boys? Easy meat." Six more males stepped out of the trees to flank their leader, "Maybe you'll never live to be High Lord, I mean what kind of High Lord can't defend himself?"

"Shut your mouth," Cassian snarled, instinctively stepping slightly in front of Rhys, on the side of his injured shoulder.

"Ooooh, protecting him, are we? That won't get you far,"

"You do like the sound of your own voice, son't you?" Azriel drawled, "Now, are we going to chat, or fight?" The male snarled, but launched himself forwards, his eyes widening in surprise as Azriel's blade met his own with the cool precision of someone entirely sure of his abilities. He backed off under the flurry of blows, but smirked as Azriel refused to move from the circle he had formed with his brothers.

"There's seven of them, that's two each, and one spare," Cassian whispered, "Take your pick, on three." Rhys glanced over his shoulder, keeping an eye on the one holding back, "One," he was still waiting, perhaps for an easy kill when they were tired, "Two," he narrowed his eyes, marking the two males closest to his side of the circle, and readied to fight as Cassian's voice sounded through the forest, "Three!" They lunged forwards as one, taking their assailants by surprise, and Rhys immediately knocked one out, whirling to meet the other's blade as it began a death arc towards his head. He easily knocked it aside, the other male scrambling backwards, stumbling once, and Rhys took the opportunity to send his sword flying aside,

"Please! Please! Don't kill me, please, my mother, my lord, please. They made me, they made me."

"How exactly did they do that?"

"My mother, they said they'd kill her, I have to protect her, my father, he died a while ago, I have to protect her, please."

"I'm not going to kill you-"

"Darren,"

"I'm not going to kill you, Darren, I haven't killed anyone this whole week, I've knocked plenty out, but I haven't killed anyone, and I won't unless I have to. What camp are you from?"

"Windhaven."

"Come find me, I'll help with your mother, now make yourself scarce." Darren's eyes widened for a moment, "Go." Rhys whispered, feigning anger as he sprinted into the trees, Cassian shouted after him, having heard the whole exchange,

"Leave him! Don't bother." Three unconscious bodies lay around him, it seemed that Cassian had fought the extra male, well, utterly destroyed, if his broken nose was any indication. Rhys turned to check on Azriel and frowned at his brother's face.

Azriel stared wide-eyed, unseeing at one of the males he had fought, blood coating his scarred hands, he was hardly breathing as he glanced back, tears lining his eyes,

"Az?"

"I - I killed him. He's dead." Az shook his head, more tears forming as his hands began to shake, Rhys and Cassian were at his side instantly, "I - I've never-" he broke off and met Rhys' eyes, "He's dead because of me, I - I tried to stop him, but, there were two of them, and I -"

"Az," Rhys whispered, "You're okay, you didn't have a choice, you tried to leave him alive, that's what matters, you're not a bad person." Still, Azriel's breath started coming in gasps, horror filling his eyes as he looked down at the dead male at his feet, "He was so desperate to prove himself, he didn't even consider backing off. Both of them, I knocked one out, but-"

"Hey," Cassian threw an arm around Azriel's shoulders, "Hey, you did everything you could, you shouted at him to get back, you warned him,"

"I don't even know his name," Azriel whispered.

The trek up the mountain was exhausting, although it seemed that they had avoided the battle at its base, they didn't meet anyone else on the slopes, and Azriel gradually recovered from his guilt, although it still tore at his inside, still made him want to throw up. He smiled at the sight of the monolith, the sunlight gleaming off it. 

His brothers at his side, he stepped towards the stone, the marker of success, meeting both of their eyes before raising his hand,

"Together," he whispered, and closed his eyes. 

When he opened them, he was back in Windhaven, Rhys' mother was already waiting for them, 

"Boys!" She grinned as she ran towards them, "You're back pretty early, Azriel? You okay?" She frowned at the distant look in his eyes, "Come inside," she ushered the three of them into the house, grinning as they collapsed onto the couch, one on top of the other, and tried to shove the others away, in the end, it was Cassian who yelped as he fell onto the floor, 

"Pricks," he muttered, but just flopped down between them once they had sat up,

"You boys hungry? "I've got some stew going for lunch." Azriel chuckled as Cassian's attention immediately went the kitchen,

"Yes please," he said, the first manners that he had displayed the whole week, sending both Azriel and Rhys into fits of laughter,

"Oh, that's rich, Cass, 'yes please' my ass!" Rhys laughed,

"Rhysand!" His mother reprimanded, "Language!"

"Sorry mom," he muttered, still grinning at Cassian's gaze on the three bowls that his mother served up, and Az nudged him in the side and whispered,

"Mighty High Lord,"

"Oh shush, you both know I'm not in charge here,"

"Damn right you're not in charge, Rhysand, you're eighteen, you're practically a baby, none of this 'High Lord' business on my watch." His mother chuckled, "Cauldron knows what would happen if you were High Lord now,"

"Anarchy?"

"Civil war?"

"Free wine?"

"Showing off?" Rhys glared at his brothers, before immediately being distracted by the scent of his mother's cooking as she set three dishes before them,

"Food, then bed,"

"Yes, mom." Az snickered again, earning a shove on the shoulder, but quickly shut up to eat his own food.

They couldn't be bothered to find their own rooms, instead peeling off their leathers and collapsing onto the nearest bed, Cassian's, and sleeping through to midday the next day.


End file.
